Process for briquetting coal



Patented Feb. 15, 19270 UNITED STATES 1,618,029 PATEN Felon.

SRINIVAS RAM WAGEL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., AS SIGNOR-TO THE LEHIGH COAL AND NAVIGATION COMPANY, A. CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

PROCESS FOR BRIQUETTING COAL.

No Drawing.

This invention relates. to a process for briquetting coal, the present application being a continuation in part ofmy copending ap licatiom'SeriaI No. 708,571,. filed April.

More specifically the invention relates to a process which includes the use, in a briquette bonded by clay, of ingredients in the binder which will "remain sutficiently adhesive, up to the temperature at"w b ich the-clay becomes bakedi 0 dequately perform the binding function.

Heretofore muchdifficulty has. ,been ex perienced in selecting a siiitable binder for.

fine sizes of coal in the manufacture of coal briquettes. It is essential that a briq'uette burn with but little smoke and without odor.

' coal, and which will not produce a great amount of ash, but which will resist the action of water and retain its shape under pressure and heat.

In order to sufficiently harden the wellknownclay binder of a briquette it is necessary to raise the temperature of the briquette to from 600 to 7 00 Fahrenheit. The briquette is preferably baked to harden the binder, such baking requiring a temperature of from 800 to 1000 Fahrenheit, or something -under the ignition point of the coal during the short period of baking.

Where asphalt, or other bituminous binders" such as heavy oils or coal tar, are used however, the binding quality is lessened or lost entirely at a temperature of about 400 Fahrenheit, or even lower, resulting in a disintegration of the briquette before its ignition point is reached.

It is a primary object of the present inventiontoprevent disintegration of a coal briquette within ordinary ranges of temperature, and before its ignition point is reached, by combining with a clay binder ingredients which will retain adhesive qualities up to a temperatureat which the clay be comes baked, to adequately perform the binding function.

A further object is to produce a briquette which is substantially impervious to moiscoal tar, blended and stabilized by the adunder oxidizing conditions.

1 Application filed September 30, 1924. SeriaI'No. 740,839.

ture, which burns with but little smoke and ash, which possesses great resistance to crushing stress, and which will not soften or disintegratewithin ordinary ranges of temperature. 4

'These objects, together with others which will be apparent as the description proceeds, are accomplished as follows The process broadly contemplates the use of a binder composed of clay and sulphi te liquor, molasses, alcohol -slops, meaning molasses after alcohol is extracted therefrom, magnesium. chloride, or the like, with a bituminous substance such as asphalt or dition -of an acid or a' mixturefof acid and. oil, all thoroughly mixed with fine coal and hardened intheforihpfia lar-ig uetterv Sulphi'te liquor, molassesfffaleehol slope, and magnesium "chloride are typical substances" which will retain thelrsadhesive qualities between 400 and 800 Fahrenheit.

Any one of these, when mixed with clay as a binder for fine coal, will retain the she e of the moulded briquette until the clay akes or hardens sufficiently for this purpose. In

the case of asphalt or bituminous substances such as coal tar and so forth, .the binding power would-be lost at about 400 Fahrenheit, thereby leaving no adequate binding agent at temperatures of from 400 to 600. and 700Fahrenheit.

It is preferable that the briquette be baked, for by baking it is made more water-resistant and mechanically stronger. The briquettes are more satifactorily hardened if the baking is carried on in a more. or less oxidizing atmosphere as contrasted to a closed-- oven or .the like. v Y

It is essential that the bindenhave'bituminous ingredients, s'uclnas asphalt or heavy oil, or possibly coal tar, for several. purposes,

among others to supply fixed carbon to the" baked briquette to render it waterproof, as

welt as to act as an initial binder at tempera- 100 tures below 400 Fahrenheit. Sulphite liquor,

molasses, alcohol slops, or magnesium chloride alone would .not leave enough fixed car-' icon to render the briquette satisfactorily waterproof, and sulphite liquor is not alone a good binder during the process of bakingthe bituminous substance supplies both de ciencies.

In the process of baking the briquette is 0 Accordingly,

ly to act as mately 800 Fahrenheit, the volatile constituents of the sulphite liquor, molasses, alcohol slops, magnesium chloride orthe like, have been nearly allxlriven oii leaving mostly ash as the residue of the temporary binder.

As a blending and stabilizing a'gent acids used alone or in combination with oils, may

be added to the binder.

A specific example of the useof process with sulphite liquor, which is at presenta cheap substance possessing the necessary qualities of a temporary'binder to prevent disintegration of a briquette between the temperatures of 400 and 800 Fahrenheit,

is as follows s About 401 parts ,of concentrated sulphite water liquor, containing 50% water, is thoroughly mixed with about113 parts: of clay liquor, clay and water, simultaneously, rather than in pouring the bitumen into the sulphite liquor, clay and water solution as pre viously described. 7 I As a further alternative, the total amount of water need not be added at the time of the mixture of the sulphite liquor and clay as set forth above, but from 8% to 10% water may be added in the initial step of the process, and the remainden introduced after the bitumen has been addedto the mixture.

The resultingcomposition is thebinder during which the volatile constituents of the asphalt or other bitumen go off up to temperatures of about 400 Fahrenheit, leaving a fair "percentage of fixed carbon. At"

about 600 or 700 F ahre nheit' the clay begins to bake sufliciently to.act as a final or permanent binder. As hereinbefore pointed out the baking should take place in a more or less oxidizing atmosphere. i

In order to properly bake the briquette it has been found essential to pass it through a,

series'of regions of gradually increasing and about '18 parts of water in asteam. heats, ranging from about 250 Fahrenheit to about l000 Fahrenheit as a maximunn jacketed agitator of the type in common use. It is here brought to a temperature of from 170 to 190 Fahrenheit, the agitation being continued during such heating. Up-

on reaching the desired temperature, 1 1:02 parts of a liquid composed of equal parts of sulphuric acid and Panuco oi-lof 12 to 16 Baum is added and agitation continued. Panuco oil is a petroleum of asphalt base, produced in the Panuco district of Mexico. It is generally heavy, or of low Baum gravity, and contains from 2 to 5% sulphur. The solid matter resulting from the mixture of Panuco and sulphuric acid is'separated from the liquid and the liquid onlyis used in this step of, the process.

Next, approximately 27 to 33 parts of asphalt or other bituminous material is, added, the bitumen having been previously heated to a temperature of from 225 to 275 F. in which condition it will readily flow. Asphalt, for use as a binder should possess a fair degree of ductility, and should have a Irlnelting point of from 110 to 17 0 Fahreneit.

Agitation of the entire mixture is continued during the addition of the bitumen, and preferably continued for approximately thirty minutesthereafter.

As an alternative to the process described above, this invention further contemplates the mixing of the asphalt or other bituminous material with the solution of sulphite An' apparatus copending application, Serial No. 709,181, filed April 26,1924.

The product resulting from theabove process is a hard and compact mass which possesses great'resistanc to pressure andwhich is substantially waterproof, but wliichiburns with little smoke and odor, and leaves but a small amount of ash. I

' What I claim as my 'invention is 1. A briquette comprising coal bonded by" clay, bituminous. materialfa d abinding agent efi'ectivejoadequately ind the briquette together at temperature ranges ;:be-

tween the point where the bituminous ma terial loses its binding qualities and the claybecomes sufliciently baked to hold the brif quette against disintegration.

for baking the briquettes as set forth is described more in detail in my no 2. A briquette, comprising coal bonded by v clay, bituminous material, and a binding agent efiective to adequately bind the briquette together at temperature ranges between the point where the bituminous material loses its binding qualities and the cla of clay, and a binding agent effective to adebriquetting- ,coal therewith becomes sufficiently baked to hold the briquette against disintegration, wherein the briquette is heated sufficiently to bake the clay as aforesaid. I

3.111 the manufacture of. coal briquettes the process which comprises preparing an aqueous suspension of clay, mixing therewith additional binding matter eifective to adequately bind the briquette together at temperature ranges up to a temperature at which the clay will be sufliciently baked to hold a briquette against disintegration, and

4. The process of claim 3, with-the additional step of heating tbs briquettes so formed to a temperature su'fiicient to bake the clay as aforesaid.

5; In the manufacture of coal briquettes, the process which compiisesinixing. together bituminous material, an aqueous suspension quately bind a briquette together at temperature ranges between the point where a bituminous material loses its binding power and "the clay becomes sufficiently baked to hold a briquette against disintegration, and' briquetting coal therewith.

6. The process of claim 5, together with the additional'step of heatingthe briquette to a temperature 7. In the manufacture of coal briquettes,

- the process which comprises mixing" an acid together with a bituminous material, an aqueous suspension of'clay, and a binding agent effective to adequately bind a briquette liquor.

9. In the manufacture of coal briquettes, the process which comprises binding fine coal by a mixture of asphalt, clay, and acidulated sulphite liquor.

10. In the manufacture of coal briquettes,

the process which comprises preparing a solution of sulphite water liquor, clay and water; in agitating such solution and gradually heatingit; in adding a small quantity of acidified oil during agitation of the solution, in adding heated asphalt during such agitation, and in finally mixing the binder 50 prepared with fine coal.

the process which comprises preparing a suspension of clay in a solution of sulphite liquor; adding acidified oil thereto as a sufficient to bake the clay as aforesaid.

the, process which comprises preparing a solution of sulphite water liquor, clay, and water; in heating and agitating such solution; in heating asphalt; in mixin the heated asphalt with the solution previously prepared; in agitating the mixture so made;

and infinally adding fine coal thereto.

13. In the manufacture of coal briquettes, the process which comprises preparing a so- .lution of sulphite liquor and clay with a small amount of water; in heating and agitating the solution; in adding acidified oil to such solution; in inducing heated asphalt into the mixture; in adding water; in agitating the mixture, and in finally adding inc coal to such mixture.

14. In the manufacture of coal briquettes, the process which consists in preparing a solution of sulphite water liquor, clay, and water; in agitating such solution, and in adding acidulated oil thereto; in gradually heating the solution while agitating; in adding-heated asphalt to the solution during such agitation, and in continuing agitation thereaftemin mixing predetermined quantities of the composition so formed with fine coal, moulding said composition in the form of briquettes, allowing the moisture to drain from the briquettes so formed, passing the unfinished briquettes through regions which heat them to successively higher temperatures, and in partially cooling such briquettes between each heating operation,

15."As an article of manufacture, a coal briquette composed of fine coal witha bind' er of asphalt, sulphit'e liquor, and clay, bakedto be substantially waterproof. s

16. In the manufacture of coal briquettes, the process which comprises binding coal particles intobriquette form by a bituminous binder; bakin the briquettes by passing themsuccessively through regions which heat ,them to progressively higher temperatures and cooling them between successive beatings. I,

17. In the manufacture of coal briquettes, the process which comprises binding coal particles into briquette form by clay and a ituminous binder, and baking the briquettes by passing them successively through regions which heat them to progressively higher temperatures.

18. In the manufacture of coal briquettes, the process which com rises binding coal particles into briquette orm by a binder of binding agent, effective to-adequately bind the briquette together at temperature ranges between the point where the bituminous material loses its binding power and the clay j clay, bituminous material, and a further 11. In the manufacture of coal brlquettes,

- becomes sufficiently baked to hold the briquette against disintegration; baking the briquettes by passing them]successively through regions which heatthem to progressively higher temperatures, and cooling I them between successive beatings.-

19. In the manufacture of coal briquettes,

the process which comprises binding coal particles into briquette form by a binder of clay and additional material effective to adequately bind the briquette at temperature ranges up to a temperature at which the clay will be baked fsufliciently to hold the briquettes against disintegration; baking the briquettes by passing them successively through regions which heat them to progressively hlgher ten'iperatures, and cooling them between successive beatings.

20. In the manufacture of coal briquettes,

the process which comprises preparing a so lution of sulphite water liquor, clay and water; in agitating such solution and gradu ally heating it; in adding a small quantity of acid during agitation of the solution; in adding heated asphalt during such agitation; and in finally mixing the bind r so prepared with fine coal.-

21. In the manufacture of coal briquettes, the process which comprises preparing a suspension of clay in a solution of sulphite liqvnor; in adding acid thereto as a blending and stabilizing agent; introducing asphalt into the solution; briquetting'coal therewith; and finally 1n heating the coal bri- I quettes to harden the clay.

adding acid thereto; in graduallyheating the solution while agitating; in adding heateaaeae ed asphalt to the solution during such a itation, and in continuing agitation thereaiter;

in mixing predetermined quantities of the composition so formed with fine coal; moulding said composition in the form of briquettes; allowing the moisture to drain from the briquettes so formed; passing the unfinished briquettes through regions which heat them to successively higher temperatures; and in partially cooling such briquettes between each heating operation.

24. A briquette comprising coal bonded by clay and additional binding material effective to adequately. bind the briquette at temperat'ure ranges up to a temperature at which the clay will be baked sufiiciently to hold the briquette against disintegration.

25. Abriquette comprising coal bonded by clay and additional binding material effective to adequately bind the briquette at temperature rangesup to a temperature at which the clay will be baked sufficiently to hold the briquette against disintegration, said briquette having been sufficiently heated to bake the clay as aforesaid.

26. In the manufacture of coal briquettes; the process which comprises mixing coal par ticles and a binder, briquetting the mixture and passing the briquettes successively through a plurality of hot zones and through substantially cooler zones interposed between certain of the hot zonesfwhereby the briquettes are alternately subjected to heating and cooling to expand and contract the same. a

27. In the manufacture of coal briquettes, the process which "comprises mixing coal particles and a binder, briquetting the mixture' and passing the briquettes successively through zones heated to graduated temperatures up to about 1,000 F. and also passing the briquettes through zones at substantially lower tenn eratures between certain of said hot zones, whereby the briquettes are alternately subjected to heating and-cooling to exparid and contract the same. t

In testimony whereof I signature.

SRINIVAS RAM iW AGEL. 

